Sony History

Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation 3 to the public on May 16, 2005, during the E3 2005 conference.[19] A functional version of the system was not present there,[20] nor at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2005,[21] although demonstrations (such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots[20]) were held at both events on devkits and comparable PC hardware.[20][21] Video footage based on the predicted PlayStation 3 specifications was also shown (notably a Final Fantasy VII tech demo).[22]

The initial prototype shown in May 2005 featured two HDMI ports, three Ethernet ports and six USB ports;[23] however, when the system was shown again a year later at E3 2006, these were reduced to one HDMI port, one ethernet port and four USB ports, presumably to cut costs.[16][24] Two hardware configurations were also announced for the console: a 20 GB model and a 60 GB model, priced at $499 (€499) and $599 (€599), respectively.[16] The 60 GB model would be the only configuration to feature an HDMI port, Wi-Fi internet, flash card readers and a chrome trim with the logo in silver.[16] Both models were announced for a simultaneous worldwide release: November 11 for Japan, and November 17 for North America and Europe.[25]

On September 6, 2006, Sony announced that the PAL region (Europe and Oceania) PlayStation 3 launch would be delayed until March 2007, due to a shortage of materials used in the Blu-ray Disc drive.[26]

At the Tokyo Game Show on September 22, 2006, Sony announced that it would include an HDMI port on the 20 GB system, but a chrome trim, flash card readers, silver logo, and Wi-Fi would not be included.[27] Also, the launch price of the Japanese 20 GB model was reduced by over 20%,[28] and the 60 GB model was announced for an open pricing scheme in Japan.[28] During the event, Sony showed 27 playable PS3 games running on final hardware.[29]